Poland's ruling party leader vague on support for EU's Tusk

WARSAW, Poland – The leader of Poland's ruling party says the government isn't ready to confirm whether it will support a second term for European Council head Donald Tusk.

Tusk's term expires in mid-2017 but he could stay on, unless there is opposition. Tusk, a former centrist Polish prime minister, could fall victim to Poland's political infighting if the right-wing government protests.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in an interview published Monday that backing for Tusk is "open and not yet decided" but that Tusk recently acted to discourage it by meeting with Poland's informal opposition leader, Mateusz Kijowski.

Kaczynski, whose party is in conflict with European Union leaders, said he wants to back Poles for senior international posts, but these people "should not be hurting Poland's interests."